Lurker by Stefan Petrucha Read Free Book Online

the drama. She opened the phone and retrieved the message.
    When she saw the letters printed across the tiny screen, they confused her. She squinted as if the act might bring clarity, but there were only two letters, repeated over and over. They were perfectly clear, but they made no sense. Unless someone had a very sick sense of humor. A profound chill, so strong that it made her tremble, ran over her neck as she read:
    Hahahahahahahaha.

4
    â€œI still think Dale sent that text,” Laurel said, curling her legs under her on the overstuffed chair in her bedroom. She dropped the remote in her lap and reached for the glass of tea she’d set on the windowsill.
    â€œWhy would he?” Drew asked from her place on the bed.
    The two had forged a functioning truce since Nicki’s vigil the night before. Mandy imagined it was more a result of Drew’s fear of being left home alone than any real forgiveness, but it was a start. Now the three of them sat in Laurel’s bedroom. An Ashton Kutcher DVD was paused on the television screen.
    â€œTo freak her out,” Laurel said. “He gets her allscared with this whack job running around, and she comes running back to his big strong arms.”
    â€œOh,” Drew said, as if that made perfect sense.
    â€œIt’s not Dale,” Mandy said. “He’s not into subtle. Last night he left three voice messages on my cell. Besides, even if he were able to think of a scheme like that, which I’m finding highly doubtful, I don’t think he’s sick enough to do it. I mean, the message was basically laughing at Nicki’s death, unless I’m totally missing something. He may be an ass, but I don’t think he’s that deep down cruel.”
    â€œHe let you catch him sniffing around the chat easy enough.”
    That was true. Maybe Dale was sick, like really twisted. It happened all the time. The guys that seemed to be so together were often just good at hiding something foul and dark. And someone like Dale, a privileged brat who apparently had no morals, could certainly work up that kind of nastiness. No , she thought. You’re just angry at him. Dale wasn’t a freak. He was a guy—just a big, stupid guy. He wasn’t evil.
    â€œHow would he block his user ID? I mean the text message came through without a handle. Dale couldn’t have figured out how to do that. He can’teven program his cell phone.”
    Laurel smiled broadly and put her tea back on the windowsill. “Maybe not, but he also can’t figure out geometry, which is why he has geek-king Matthew do it for him. Are you seeing my ever-so-subtle point?”
    â€œI didn’t even know you could hide your ID like that,” Drew said.
    â€œWell, it happened, which means it can be done.” This from Laurel. “I’m the Goddess of Tech, but they come out with functions and features so fast that even I can’t keep up.”
    â€œSo,” Mandy said, “you think Dale had Matt do this for him?”
    â€œI’m just saying it’s one big, obvious, really likely possibility.”
    â€œGod, that’s so romantic,” said Drew.
    Laurel slowly turned her head toward Drew on the bed, then looked at Mandy. “You are going to let me slap her, right?”
    â€œWell, he’s doing all of this for Mandy,” Drew said. “Just to get her back. I mean he’s obviously thinking about her a lot.”
    â€œLogic fault,” Mandy said. “If he had spent ten seconds thinking about me—the ten he spentwriting ‘kewl profile, let me grab your tits’ to that girl online—none of this would be an issue.”
    Laurel laughed and clapped her hands. “Girl’s got the right head on this one.”
    â€œI just think it’s cool to have someone missing you that way.”
    â€œAnd yet so many stalker victims still press charges,” Mandy said. “Look, whatever. It’s